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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. key — for a lock
  3. march — the month
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. date — the fruit
  8. wake — a trail
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. key — in music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. foot — a measure
  16. march — the month
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — the season
  19. bear — the animal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. march — music
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com